The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has approved a plan to build an airport in the Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Gannan in the northwestern Gansu Province, the local government said on Wednesday.

The provincial reform and development commission said preparations will start soon to pave the way for the civil construction of Xiahe Airport, a 700 million yuan (about 100 million US dollars) project about 250 kilometers from Lanzhou, the provincial capital.

"These will include land measurement, meteorological observation and environment assessment at the proposed site for the airport," said Ma Xiaojun, an official in charge of transport at the provincial commission.

He said the preferred site was about 56 km from the nearest city, Hezuo, and 72 km from the Xiahe County seat.

The airport will have a 3,000-meter-long runway and construction is expected to be complete in 2010.

Gannan prefecture, located in southern Gansu Province, has a population of 680,000, more than half of whom are Tibetans.

(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2008)